Never have I been this proud of my fellow Democrats in the past several years as I watch the labor movement (finally) kick into action in Wisconsin, and my hope is that this movement spreads like wildfire throughout the entire United States; it's about time.
I keep getting this same visual in my mind (shit, I wish I was one of those photoshop geniuses so I could actually put this visual I have in place).
The visual is Richard Trumka dressed in long fluffy shocking red satin Oscar de la Renta dress (with matching shoes of course) and a long, red stemmed rose in his mouth. Richard has a wide silly fabulous grin on his big wonderful beefy face, and he has President Obama (dressed in a equally fabulous tux), in a total vice grip, as he slams his cheek up close to the President: Richard says: Let's Tango Mr. President !!!!!
It would appear, to me that the Democrats, including our own President, are about to be called out on their own party platform. It would appear to me, that it's about damn time, they started acting like Democrats, and support the very Unions, that have been supporting our party for just about evaaaaaaaaaa.
It would appear to me that this horrifying blessing in disguise, of our nation completely falling apart, because of the insane corruption and greed of Wall St./the Bankstas is about to force our so called Democratic leaders to be fully 'flushed out of the woods,' like pheasants that have been carefully hiding in the underbrush for way to long. My view on this is: Great, good, wonderful, let the dance begin, because you sure can run, but you can't hide.
Did the Oligarchy actually believe that the great dragon of the Unions of this nation, would not awake? Did they actually think that the American people would not rise up after having their pensions, homes, and jobs destroyed by the millions of Wall St. Crooks, thieves and liars, who have gotten away with the most horrifying avarice and unending insatiable greed we have ever witnessed as a people?
To finally realize, the it will be the Labor Party and the Unions of this nation, to perhaps finally shape President Obama into the President he should be, and must be is stranger than fiction. But sadly, it had to come to this: the Unions are essentially drawing a line in the sand that President Obama has continually refused to draw. Who and what do you stand for Mr. President. It really is that simple.
As Robert Kuttner states:
At long last, resentment against the economic crisis is beginning to find its natural home, where it always belonged -- against financial elites, their privileges and Republican allies. It is dawning on ordinary voters that something is wrong when hedge fund billionaires and investment bankers are making more than ever, while public workers (average Wisconsin pay: $48,000) are being made the scapegoats.
Why did this take so long? For one thing, organizing against this economic collapse was always a challenge because the details of the financial crisis are esoteric. Though the crisis was triggered by deregulation, by the capture of both parties by financial elites, and by reckless greed on Wall Street, the right was able to sow just enough confusion about "deadbeat" sub-prime borrowers and corrupted government guarantors at Fannie Mae as to diffuse culpability.
A Democratic president of the United States, moreover, has been reluctant to point the finger at bankers, and seeks reconciliation with a business elite which claims hurt feelings. So over time, the recession seems like a natural disaster like the extreme weather (which lately is a man-made disaster too, but I digress). Anxious people hunker down rather than taking to the streets. Responsibility is obscured. And, what is being done to private sector workers seems impersonal. Orders are down, so layoffs ensue. Outsourcing seems inevitable if America are to stay competitive. It's all in the passive voice. The invisible hand did it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
And that is the essence of the problem right there: President Obama wants it all ways, and in this particular case, when our nation is in deep chaos, 'responsibility cannot be obscured.' Americans know who caused this economic catastrophe, who got paid off for it, that the laws of this nation mean little if anything to the top one percent, and this may indeed end up being President Obama's shining moment to decide, what kind of leader he is going to be.
In another recent diary, I asked a simple question: So, how is that renegotiation going on NAFTA, the Korea trade agreements and the Mexico-USA-Canada Highway from Hell bill? What do hear? Oh, yeah, crickets for the Unions of our nation.
It certainly is going to be an interesting dance these next few months ahead:
"I think that people understand that when attacked you must fight back and they are energized by that. And I think the lesson of what people will learn from this is that moving forward you have to stay engaged and keep fighting. And we will see that take place in 2012 in the electoral scene as well," said Karen Ackerman, the political director of the AFL-CIO. "People are reminded that there are consequences to elections, that it is important who gets elected." So far, the president's engagement has been cheered. "We think to come out publicly and say, as far as he is concerned, that this seems to be an attack on public unions ... it was a wonderful statement he made," said McEntee.
That good will, however, be tested in the weeks ahead, as a government shut down in Madison and similar protests elsewhere seem likely to consume more of the president's attention and time. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reiterated the president's concern about the underlying objectives of the anti-union legislation. But aides to Obama declined to say whether he would visit Wisconsin in the week ahead, despite protesters' pining for a visit.
One top Republican strategist described the situation best, when he noted the debate has allowed labor and the president -- never really trusting of one another -- a limited window in which to patch things up. "Labor unions and the White House might not be in bed with each other, but they're definitely having make-up sex right now," the strategist emailed. "Maybe [things will improve] in the short term, but they're already ticked at him, and there isn't a single union hotel in Charlotte [the site of the 2012 convention.]"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
As the saying goes Mr. President, 'Now is the time for all good men/women, to come to the aid of their party.'
"And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States." — 11/3/07, Spartanburg, S.C. Senator Barack Obama
Well, put your shoes Mr. President, its time to walk that line, so let the dance begin, shall we?
Ms. B